- A team of full-time "monster hunters" from
the Exeter, England-based Centre for Fortean Zoology (named after an early
chronicler of all-things-mysterious, Charles Fort) have obtained exciting
evidence for the existence of a so-called British Bigfoot. The 4-man team,
which is comprised of author and journalist Jonathan Downes, professional
zoologist Richard Freeman, Graham Inglis and John Fuller, arrived at Bolam
Lake, Northumberland, on Thursday, 16 January to investigate recent reports
of a large "ape-man" seen in the area by several, independent
witnesses.
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- In conjunction with the North of England-based Twilight
Worlds Paranormal Research Group, Downes and his team have carried out
an in-depth investigation of the incidents in question and have uncovered
some startling new evidence.
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- On the evening of Saturday 18 January, Downes and
3 members of the Twilight Worlds Paranormal Research Group joined the ever-growing
list of witnesses to the mysterious creature when they briefly saw it,
too. Downes, whose monster-hunting quest began as a child in the 1960s,
described the "Beast of Bolam Lake" as being around eight feet
in height, three feet wide and dark in colour.
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- "We only saw it for a few seconds then it vanished
into the trees," says Downes. "This is the latest in a bizarre
series of Big Hairy Man sightings which have confounded zoologists and
which have taken place in the UK in the last six months." He adds:
"I have been a professional monster hunter for years but the thing
I saw has prompted me to completely reevaluate my whole world view."
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- Thirty-three year old Freeman, who previously worked
at Twycross Zoo, states: "This is undoubtedly the most important Fortean-zoological
incident in the past half century." The events at Bolam Lake are part
of a larger, nationwide spate of similar reports that has included encounters
at Cannock Chase, Staffordshire; Sussex; Sherwood Forest of Robin Hood
fame; Cumbria; and Longridge Fell, Lancashire - a place renowned for "monster"
sightings.
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- "Hair samples" acquired by the team at
the site of the mysterious encounter are to be examined by specialists
in Scotland, England, the USA and Denmark.
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- Last year, the Centre for Fortean Zoology attracted
major media coverage when they solved the mystery of "The Monster
of the Mere." Numerous people had reported sightings of a strange
creature within Martin Mere, Lancashire, England, that Downes and his team
were able to identify as a large catfish.
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- Note To Editors
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- * The Centre for Fortean Zoology was founded in 1992
and is now an officially registered non-profit-making trust.
- * The Twilight Worlds Paranormal Research Group was
formed by Mike Hallowell, a respected author and journalist based in the
North of England.
- * In 2002, Colonel John Blashford-Snell, OBE, became
the honorary life president of the CFZ.
- * The CFZ has carried out monster-hunting expeditions
in Mexico; Puerto Rico; the USA; the UK; and Thailand, and the results
of their investigations have appeared on British television's Channel 4
and on the Discovery Channel.
- * During 2002, in addition to solving the mystery
of "The Monster of the Mere," the CFZ assisted Cleveland Police
in an investigation of a spate of animal mutilations in the area.
- * For more details of these new developments on "The
Beast of Bolam Lake," contact (in the UK) Jonathan Downes on 079 019
35443 or at jon@eclipse.co.uk; or (in America) Nick Redfern on 409 729
2774 or at skywatcher4u@aol.com. The CFZ can also be contacted at its website:
www.cfz.org.uk
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